


Wind In Shadows

by pastles



Category: Naruto
Genre: ANBU - Freeform, Canon Compliant, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 12:56:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7802707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pastles/pseuds/pastles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shikamaru before he was the Jounin Commander of the Shichidaime</p><p>(Or, I just wanted to write a fic where Shikamaru gets together with Temari, and where he is in ANBU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wind In Shadows

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed
> 
> Also, bits of this was inspired by SORD's [Ambassadors ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/642073/). I absolutely _adore_ Shikamaru in that fic  <3

When the summons came (in the form of a dove, no less), Shikamaru wasn't surprised by it. Even though he was currently the de facto clan head of the Nara (a fact that he low-key resented), it wasn't like a clan head had never been invited before. Shikamaru understood where Rokudaime was coming from, and in some ways, supported it (mostly... but only because he really didn't want to take time away from his cloud watching, and this would take time away from it). Although, even if they hadn't come for him, he'd probably have gone looking for them when the time came.

Getting up from his comfortable position, Shikamaru brushed off the grass from his pants and began his slow trek to the empty room on the fourth floor of the Hokage Tower. The summon hadn't said where he was to go, but Shikamaru had discovered the entrance when he was still a genin. He's never told anyone, but he suspected his father knew.

In any case, one didn't keep the Commander of ANBU waiting.

++++++++++

At least the first interview was short and to the point. He was issued his mask (smooth, flat and blank for now) and the uniform and various weapons (the uniform a perfect fit and the short sword perfectly balanced for him), with an order to meet back at the venue that night for his physical tests.

After which, there would be psychological tests and some classes (a soft sigh) that he would have to attend. Once the tests were done, no doubt as to whether he'd pass them, he'd be attached to several senior members for training.

It didn't take long for Shikamaru to get the hang of things. He even managed to stay awake for most of the training sessions.

When he got his tattoo, Shikamaru kept his face blank and expressionless. It wouldn't do to flinch. When the tattoo was finished, still wet with blood, Shikamaru only had a chance to glance before it was covered with bandages. Later that night, under the moonlight in his room, he stared at it for a long while. The ramifications of what he decided (a long time ago) slowly trickling through his brain.

He'd handle it.

++++++++++

It was surprisingly easy to keep everything from his friends, even Chouji. That was not to say that his friends didn't know what was going on. It was just the way of things. If Ino hugged him a little tighter than usual sometimes, or if Chouji shared a little more of his potato chips, or if the lines around his mother's mouth were a little more pronounced, no one said anything.

He still went on missions with his team, but as all three of them moved up in ranks and experience, those lessened and Shikamaru found himself wearing the mask more often. Soon, he was running solo missions that took him to places so dark that there were no shadows for him to use.

After all, you needed light for there to be shadows.

++++++++++

“Hey, Shikamaru. What are you doing here?”

“Waiting.” Shikamaru nodded in greeting as the other shinobi sat next to him. Both of them turned their gazes to the gates, opened with a steady crowd trickling in.

“Are you still on Ambassador duty?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Didn’t you just get promoted to jounin? Aren’t you a little overqualified for this now?”

Shikamaru shrugged, and rested back against the wall of wooden shelter that was built near the main gates of the village. “Guess they didn’t want the trouble of getting a new guy.”

“Ah.”

“Oy, Genma, let’s go!”

Shikamaru nodded his goodbye as Genma patted him on the shoulder before slowly strolling away, making sure that the note Genma had slipped him was tucked securely into his pocket before turning his gaze back to the gates.

++++++++++

Shikamaru didn’t really know what to make of Temari. She was brash, straight to the point and confident; and seemed to not suffer fools lightly. Every part of her shone with strength and was backed up a hardness that only living in a harsh place like Suna could give.

But he’d also seen her, smiling sweetly (that he thought it was a sweet smile was a little alarming, though he didn’t feel so at that time) at a flower blooming from the cracks in a rock, and he’d seen her give a hug to a dejected colleague. He didn’t think she was the hugging type. But the sight of her striding through the opened doors of Konoha was a familiar one. A quick greeting to the guards, a flash of ID and she strode towards Shikamaru, her steps long and sure.

“Hey, crybaby. It’s you again?”

She also had the habit of teasing him.

“Ambassador.” Shikamaru straightened himself up from his seat, and sketched a bow. He could be formal when the situation warranted it.

At Temari’s soft huff of laughter, Shikamaru’s lips quirked up in a smirk. It’d become a running joke between the two of them; her insistence on calling him by the nickname she gave him so many years ago, and his surprisingly (to her) stubborn adherence to protocol. Shikamaru found that he worked well with Temari (despite her teasing), and over the years their working relationship had grown more informal.

Shikamaru glanced at Temari’s luggage, knowing better than to offer to carry them for her. Most shinobi were leery of letting someone else handle their bags, especially if the other person was a ninja from a different village. You never knew what could be taken from or placed inside. And Temari was more suspicious than most. So Shikamaru was a little surprised when Temari held out her backpack to him.

Knowing that Temari was expecting it, Shikamaru raised an eyebrow even as he took the backpack from her. He shouldered the backpack. “Tiring trip?”

“You have no idea.” Temari, her right hand over rubbing the area where her neck and left shoulder connected, shifted her shoulders until a loud crack sounded. “Aaah, yesss.”

That little hiss did strange things to his stomach. Shikamaru shifted, and the soft crackle of the note in his pocket caused him to stiffen a little. He ignored the look Temari threw him and started walking towards the Hokage Tower, knowing that Temari would follow him. They walked towards the Tower in compatible silence, only broken when people greeted either one of them. They never stopped for long though. It was growing late and Shikamaru knew that Temari needed her rest.

As they neared the Tower, Temari reached for her pack, and Shikamaru returned it without a word. They entered the Tower with no trouble, and made their quickly to the hokage’s office. Shikamaru settled into the seat outside the room to wait for Temari, angling himself so that he could look out of the window without straining himself. He didn’t know how long the meeting would last, and really, Temari no longer needed Shikamaru when she came to the village. Shikamaru didn’t even have to show Temari the way to her quarters anymore, seeing as Suna now had official accommodations for their shinobi when they were in Kohona.

Well, it wasn’t like Shikamaru had anything better to do.

But a hand twitched towards his pocket, and Shikamaru found himself thinking that maybe Kakashi had the right idea in regards to carrying a book with him everywhere.

But that was just too troublesome.

++++++++++

The meeting with Kakashi didn’t take too long and Shikamaru soon found himself back on the streets with Temari. She wasn’t surprised to see Shikamaru still outside when she left the room, and neither was Kakashi if that “Shikamaru, remember to send in your report to Iruka-sensei soon” was anything to go by.

Temari’s smile was at once sly and amused at the same time. It was a smile that Shikamaru had ever only seen directed at him, and in a small corner of his mind, he’d come to think of it as a smile that Temari had only for him. Of course, he wouldn’t know whether she smiled the same way when she was in Suna. He didn’t really care anyway.

He really didn’t care. Really.

Once Temari had settled in her quarters, they both headed toward their usual (and when did they even ever have a usual anything?) restaurant, sat in their usual place (a small corner booth that they moved towards without waiting for the waitstaff, who only quietly appeared and gave them their menus) and ordered their usual fare (fried fish for her, steamed dumplings for him, and icy beer for the both of them).

Temari only started her attack after they’ve both have had their first sips of their beer.

“So, what’s wrong with you?” Temari rested her chin on the hand propped on the table in her elbow. She looked at Shikamaru directly, her gaze never leaving his face, as though searching for a clue.

Shikamaru shrugged, the note feeling like it’s burning a hole in his pocket. He should have known she’d notice something. “Nothing.”

Temari’s eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. Shikamaru knew that she wouldn’t press for anything; she knew better.

Even though she allowed him to help with her backpack earlier.

A feeling almost like panic rose in Shikamaru and he drank his beer just so he could hide his face and settle his nerves. He knew he was acting weird, but he’ll get over this spell soon.

They chatted about inconsequential things, things like how the weather was back in Suna at the moment (hot, and windy) and the conditions of the roads towards Konoha was at the moment (bad, rife with bandits; which explained why Temari was so exhausted when she got into Konoha) and how Gaara seemed to have started a hobby growing cactus (Shikamaru blinked at that).

The dinner ended soon, and Shikamaru walked a visibly exhausted Temari back to her room. He made sure to hear the door being locked and the wards being placed (“I got it, crybaby. Go home!”) before walking away.

++++++++++

The mask prevented him from feeling the wind in his face, but also helped in preventing stray branches from scratching him as he leapt branch to branch. When he reached the edge of the clearing, he stopped and lifted a fist up with his arm bent. Three others, all similarly dressed stopped beside him soundlessly. Not even the leaves moves as they crouched on the thick branch.

Shikamaru held up two fingers and gestured to the right, and two of his team disappeared into the dark forest. They would make a quick crossing around the clearing. Shikamaru noted the time passing in his mind before nodding to his last team member. Shikamaru hung back as his teammate, Horse, jumped off the tree right into the middle of the clearing.

The moment Horse touched land, bright lights flashed and the sound of a blade being unsheathed rang loud and clear in the silent night.

“Did they send only one? They’ve totally underestimated us.”

Horse said nothing to the taunt, and only proceeded to move so fast that Shikamaru was hard pressed to see what he did. While Horse engaged with the enemy, Shikamaru moved into place. Horse’s speciality was taijutsu, and he was brilliant in forcing the enemy into where they wanted him to go. Shikamaru estimated the time it would take for Horse to move the enemy into place and started making the seals that would allow him to use his own skills.

“Urgh!”

Shikamaru kept his hands in place the moment his shadow locked onto the enemy. He slipped out from behind the tree, and walked towards his target, the shadow between them growing shorter with every step he took.

“A Nara.” Even caught, the enemy had an air of superiority. He didn’t seem worried that he had two ANBU in front of him.

“Where did you hide them?” Shikamaru kept his voice even; he hoped that he could get this troublesome job over and done with quickly.

“Hide what?” Shikamaru could feel the shrug the enemy tried to do; he could feel the enemy’s muscles straining against the shadow restraints.

“Let’s not play games. You know exactly what we want.” Shikamaru allowed a tendril of shadow to move up the captured ninja’s body. He lifted up his hand until it was in front of his face, the enemy’s hand following suit, and Shikamaru made sure that he could see the shadow wrapped around a finger.

“Oh little Anbu-chan, did you think that that would scare me?” The smirk that appeared on the other’s face was not a copy of Shikamaru’s. “I’m surprised that you’re using your clan’s jutsu so openly. Aren’t you guys supposed to be anonymous?”

“We are, but dead men tell no tales.” Shikamaru’s voice was flat and emotionless as the shadow he had wrapped around the nameless ninja twisted. He remained standing even as his head dropped forward, still caught in Shikamaru’s shadow jutsu. Shikamaru knelt before releasing it, and the body collapsed with a dull thud.

“Where did he hide them?” Shikamaru asked as his teammates emerged from the forest behind the dead ninja.

“You were right, taichou. There was a cave nearby. We’ve eliminated all evidence.”

Shikamaru nodded. “Good job, guys. We might just be able to make it back tonight.”

Horse shifted, and with an air of surprise, “You want to push for us to go back tonight, taichou?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Ah, no.” Horse shook his head vigorously.

A chuckle escaped from behind another mask, Hare, this time. “Ah… that’s because a certain ambassador is in a village.”

“Aaaaah…”

“What, no…” Shikamaru sputtered just as Horse made the sound of realisation.

“Hmm,” the third member of his team rubbed the chin of his mask. “Why would taichou change his normal MO when this ambassador is in the village?”

Shikamaru stifled a groan as Horse flung an arm over Ega’s shoulders. “It’s all about Youth and Romance! I’ll explain it to you when we’re back in the village!”

“There is nothing to explain.” Shikamaru slashed the air with his arm. “I just thought you guys would appreciate being back in the village sooner rather than later.”

“Oooh, taichou. We do.” Shikamaru could just see the huge grin Hare had on behind that mask, despite not being a Hyuuga. “We appreciate it very much.”

 _Thank goodness for masks_ was Shikamaru’s thought even as he rolled his eyes (he was sure his teammates knew what he was doing) and looked up into the sky to see what time it was. It was barely past 3 in the morning, they’d make it back to Konoha in good time. Might even make it back in time for breakfast.

“Oh yeah, taichou,” Horse paused in his pre-run stretches to look at Shikamaru. “How did you know about the cave and that they were hiding around this area?”

Shikamaru tightened his sword holder. “Oh, the wind brought with it some news…”

And then, he was off, amidst the snorts of his colleagues who followed closely behind; leaving no trace of them having ever been in the clearing.


End file.
